Tomorrow, the children you couldn’t drag out of bed on a weekend will be dragging you out at 7 a.m.

After some eggnog and a meditation at the crčche, the family will gather around the Christmas tree, beautifully lit and decorated until you reach its bottom fourth — for, if you have an ambitious 20-pound cat like we do, he will have undecorated everything he could reach.

What are you getting for Christmas?

In 1772, New Bern got a church.

Until that year, the “Shouting Methodists” had no meeting place or official organization in which to display their enthusiastic faith. That “shouting,” by the way, was a term invented to insult, but accepted as a compliment — like the way the Brits mocked us with “Yankee Doodle.” We rather enjoyed the slight and piped it so much in battle that they had the tune haunting them in the same way that “Gilligan’s Island” gets stuck in your head.

Here is an almost completely unknown and totally untrue historic fact: it was the maddening repetition of “Yankee Doodle” that brought Cornwallis to terms. Remembering this event, Americans would later realize a great way to capture Gen. Noriega. But I digress.

John Wesley, reluctant founder of the Methodist church, believed that “true Christianity fulfilled all of a person’s deepest, truest desires, making the Christian a happier, more productive person,” according to a Dec. 8 issue of Christianity Today. To many, it was a bright alternative to the more somber Presbyterian, and officious Anglican, ways.

Wesley never came to New Bern, but an associate of his, the Rev. Joseph Pilmore, did, wandering into town from his usual Philadelphia and New York City haunts to spread the good news and — well — some shouting and some spiritual falling down. He spoke to the citizens on Christmas Day 1772, and from this event, Centenary United Methodist Church sets its birth.

His Good News wasn’t good news to all. One of the city’s most prominent men, Anglican missionary James Reed, looked upon these fellows and their “enthusiastic ranting” (Reed’s words) with real suspicion.

Still, Rev. Pilmore was well-received, and his visits were followed by other circuit riders, preachers on horseback with missions in their hearts and Bibles in their saddlebags. Eventually, Francis Asbury, head of the American branch of Methodism, would preach in town 14 times.

Centenary is one of the oldest Methodist congregations in the south. It built its first church (the city’s second) on Hancock Street in 1802 and its current building, on New Street, in 1904. This gorgeous building will merit a column of its own.

Merry Christmas to you all, and remember to honor the Christ Child in service tonight. And special good wishes to you who will be worshipping in New Bern’s own Christmas church.

Page 2 of 2 - Bill Hand is the author of two books: A Walking Guide to North Carolina’s Historic New Bern and Remembering Craven County. They are available at local stores or from the author. Contact him at newbernhistory@yahoo.com.